Changes

*''Japanese'': 対馬藩 ''(Tsushima han)''

*''Japanese'': 対馬藩 ''(Tsushima han)''

Tsushima han, based on Tsushima Island (today part of [[Nagasaki prefecture]]), was the domain of the [[So clan|Sô clan]], and managed relations with [[Joseon Dynasty]] [[Korea]]. The territory of the domain also included small areas known as ''[[tobichi]]'' on the mainland of the island of [[Kyushu]], in [[Hizen province|Hizen]] and [[Chikuzen province]]s. The domain was ranked at 100,000 ''[[koku]]'', though its actual agricultural production was equivalent to less than 10,000.<ref>Hellyer gives 20,000. Hellyer, 40.</ref> The enhanced ''[[kokudaka]]'' ranking is usually said to either be a reflection of the importance of the Korea trade and the measure of the economic benefit from it, or a result of the necessity for the Sô clan to possess a higher rank and title in order to represent Japan honorably and effectively in interactions with Korea.<ref>[[Ronald Toby|Toby, Ronald]]. "Rescuing the Nation from History: The State of the State in Early Modern Japan." ''[[Monumenta Nipponica]]'' 56:2 (2001). p206. </ref>

Tsushima han, based on Tsushima Island (today part of [[Nagasaki prefecture]]), was the domain of the [[So clan|Sô clan]], and managed relations with [[Joseon Dynasty]] [[Korea]]. The territory of the domain also included small areas known as ''[[tobichi]]'' on the mainland of the island of [[Kyushu]], in [[Hizen province|Hizen]] and [[Chikuzen province]]s. The domain was ranked at 100,000 ''[[koku]]'', though its actual agricultural production was equivalent to less than 10,000.<ref>Hellyer gives 20,000. Hellyer, 40.</ref> Roughly six to seven thousand ''koku'' of that was in barley cultivation, rather than rice.<ref name=hellyer140>Hellyer, 140.</ref> The enhanced ''[[kokudaka]]'' ranking is usually said to either be a reflection of the importance of the Korea trade and the measure of the economic benefit from it, or a result of the necessity for the Sô clan to possess a higher rank and title in order to represent Japan honorably and effectively in interactions with Korea.<ref>[[Ronald Toby|Toby, Ronald]]. "Rescuing the Nation from History: The State of the State in Early Modern Japan." ''[[Monumenta Nipponica]]'' 56:2 (2001). p206. </ref> Outside of the Korea trade, and a small local wax industry, Tsushima could claim no special local products unique enough, or produced in large enough volume, to compete in the [[Osaka]] and [[Edo]] markets, unlike many other prominent domains.<ref name=hellyer140/>

At the peak of the Korea trade, the population of the domain was around 32,000, with half the population living in the [[jokamachi|castle town]] of [[Fuchu (Tsushima)|Fuchû]].<ref>Not to be confused with [[Fuchu|Fuchû]] in [[Kai province]], or [[Fuchu castle|Fuchû castle]] in [[Echizen province]]; Tashiro Kazui. "Foreign Relations during the Edo Period: Sakoku Reexamined." ''Journal of Japanese Studies'' 8:2 (1982). p298.</ref> Of these 32,000, roughly half lived off of grain produced on the island, while rice grown on Sô lands on the mainland of Kyushu fed another 7,000; the remaining 7,000 or so people relied upon rice given the Sô as gifts from the Korean court - typically around 8,300 ''koku'' a year from the mid-17th century onwards.<ref>Hellyer, 40.</ref>

At the peak of the Korea trade, the population of the domain was around 32,000, with half the population living in the [[jokamachi|castle town]] of [[Fuchu (Tsushima)|Fuchû]].<ref>Not to be confused with [[Fuchu|Fuchû]] in [[Kai province]], or [[Fuchu castle|Fuchû castle]] in [[Echizen province]]; Tashiro Kazui. "Foreign Relations during the Edo Period: Sakoku Reexamined." ''Journal of Japanese Studies'' 8:2 (1982). p298.</ref> Of these 32,000, roughly half lived off of grain produced on the island, while rice grown on Sô lands on the mainland of Kyushu fed another 7,000; the remaining 7,000 or so people relied upon rice given the Sô as gifts from the Korean court - typically around 8,300 ''koku'' a year from the mid-17th century onwards.<ref>Hellyer, 40.</ref>

The trade with Korea was quite sizable, amounting, in the 1710s-1730s for example, to 30,000 ''kan'' of silver, or roughly 8% of all silver coins minted in Japan during that time.<ref>Tashiro. p303.</ref> At times, however, various forces, such as changes to central Tokugawa policy, had dramatic effects upon Tsushima's revenues and financial well-being. A serious debasement of coinage in [[1695]] led to Korean merchants, hesitant to think the newly debased silver ingots would be easily accepted by others in the region, raising their prices, which severely lowered Tsushima's revenues for a time. While [[Amenomori Hoshu|Amenomori Hôshû]], a prominent Confucian scholar in service to the domain, advised continued efforts to strengthen relations with Korea, the domain also acted on the advice of Confucian advisor [[Suyama Totsuan]], who advocated taking greater steps to cull the [[deer]] and [[boar]] populations, who ate crops and otherwise had a negative impact on agricultural production. All able-bodied men in the domain over 20 years of age were mobilized to build walls to entrap animals, and to either scare off or kill the animals with [[teppo|firearms]]. This policy had a noticeable effect, expanding the agricultural production of the island.<ref>Hellyer, 60.</ref> Tsushima's difficulties with the quality of the silver ingots were compounded when a decrease in Korean production of [[ginseng]] led to the cost of importing this most important product doubling; the problems were significantly alleviated, however, when in [[1711]] the shogunate gave Tsushima permission to mint 80% pure ingots specifically for the Korea trade.<ref>[[Satsuma han]] and [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]] also petitioned the shogunate for permission to use 80% silver ingots, but only received some lesser concessions, perhaps in part because they did not provide any single good deemed as essential as ginseng.</ref>

The trade with Korea was quite sizable, amounting, in the 1710s-1730s for example, to 30,000 ''kan'' of silver, or roughly 8% of all silver coins minted in Japan during that time.<ref>Tashiro. p303.</ref> At times, however, various forces, such as changes to central Tokugawa policy, had dramatic effects upon Tsushima's revenues and financial well-being. A serious debasement of coinage in [[1695]] led to Korean merchants, hesitant to think the newly debased silver ingots would be easily accepted by others in the region, raising their prices, which severely lowered Tsushima's revenues for a time. While [[Amenomori Hoshu|Amenomori Hôshû]], a prominent Confucian scholar in service to the domain, advised continued efforts to strengthen relations with Korea, the domain also acted on the advice of Confucian advisor [[Suyama Totsuan]], who advocated taking greater steps to cull the [[deer]] and [[boar]] populations, who ate crops and otherwise had a negative impact on agricultural production. All able-bodied men in the domain over 20 years of age were mobilized to build walls to entrap animals, and to either scare off or kill the animals with [[teppo|firearms]]. This policy had a noticeable effect, expanding the agricultural production of the island.<ref>Hellyer, 60.</ref> Tsushima's difficulties with the quality of the silver ingots were compounded when a decrease in Korean production of [[ginseng]] led to the cost of importing this most important product doubling; the problems were significantly alleviated, however, when in [[1711]] the shogunate gave Tsushima permission to mint 80% pure ingots specifically for the Korea trade.<ref>[[Satsuma han]] and [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]] also petitioned the shogunate for permission to use 80% silver ingots, but only received some lesser concessions, perhaps in part because they did not provide any single good deemed as essential as ginseng.</ref>

Over the course of the Edo period, figures such as Amenomori used a variety of arguments to defend privileges and arrangements which allowed trade with Korea to continue smoothly. This was essential for providing for the well-being of the people of the domain, in addition to concerning the lords' personal coffers. The importance of providing ginseng to the Japanese market was among these; Amenomori also argued that because relations with Korea allowed for the collection of intelligence about politics and events of the region, Tsushima's activities were thus essential for national defense. Further, Amenomori compared the Sô clan's obligations vis-a-vis Korea to the coastal defense and other special duties required of certain other domains, arguing that effecting trade and relations with Korea was the Sô clan's way of performing feudal service to their lord (the shogun), and that they thus should be given conditions allowing them to perform it well. One benefit which came as a result of such arguments came in [[1748]], when, acknowledging the importance for national defense of the maintenance of friendly relations with Korea, the shogunate exempted Tsushima from having to contribute to the defense of the port of [[Nagasaki]].<ref>Satsuma was exempted at that time as well, the shogunate applying the same argument to Satsuma's relationship with Ryûkyû.</ref>

Over the course of the Edo period, figures such as Amenomori used a variety of arguments to defend privileges and arrangements which allowed trade with Korea to continue smoothly. This was essential for providing for the well-being of the people of the domain, in addition to concerning the lords' personal coffers. The importance of providing ginseng to the Japanese market was among these; Amenomori also argued that because relations with Korea allowed for the collection of intelligence about politics and events of the region, Tsushima's activities were thus essential for national defense. Further, Amenomori compared the Sô clan's obligations vis-a-vis Korea to the coastal defense and other special duties required of certain other domains, arguing that effecting trade and relations with Korea was the Sô clan's way of performing feudal service to their lord (the shogun), and that they thus should be given conditions allowing them to perform it well. One benefit which came as a result of such arguments came in [[1748]], when, acknowledging the importance for national defense of the maintenance of friendly relations with Korea, the shogunate exempted Tsushima from having to contribute to the defense of the port of [[Nagasaki]].<ref>Satsuma was exempted at that time as well, the shogunate applying the same argument to Satsuma's relationship with Ryûkyû.</ref>

The domain saw considerable financial difficulties in the latter half of the 18th century, however, as a variety of factors, including the growth of domestic production of [[ginseng]], led to a significant decline in the value of the Korea trade. In the 1740s-1750s, the domain requested and received from the shogunate loans or grants of 10,000 ''[[currency|ryô]]'' on a number of occasions, and in the 1770s, the volume of trade had declined to such an extent that the domain declared the private trade effectively ended. Meanwhile, the agricultural gains from Suyama Totsuan's deer and boar hunts only lasted for a time; an official survey performed by an agent of the ''[[Nagasaki bugyo|Nagasaki bugyô]]'' in [[1772]] found that the domain's effective net income that year was a mere 23,000 ''koku''. The domain encountered difficulty in requesting loans from merchants, as they developed a reputation for not being able to repay their loans, and so continued to petition the shogunate for help. A domain official named [[Sugimura Naoki]] finally secured from the shogunate an annual grant of 12,000 ''ryô'', which remained in place, being paid out every year from [[1776]] until [[1862]].<ref>Hellyer, 91-92.</ref>

The domain saw considerable financial difficulties in the latter half of the 18th century, however, as a variety of factors, including the growth of domestic production of ginseng, led to a significant decline in the value of the Korea trade. In the 1740s-1750s, the domain requested and received from the shogunate loans or grants of 10,000 ''[[currency|ryô]]'' on a number of occasions, and in the 1770s, the volume of trade had declined to such an extent that the domain declared the private trade effectively ended. Meanwhile, the agricultural gains from Suyama Totsuan's deer and boar hunts only lasted for a time; an official survey performed by an agent of the ''[[Nagasaki bugyo|Nagasaki bugyô]]'' in [[1772]] found that the domain's effective net income that year was a mere 23,000 ''koku''. The domain encountered difficulty in requesting loans from merchants, as they developed a reputation for not being able to repay their loans, and so continued to petition the shogunate for help. A domain official named [[Sugimura Naoki]] finally secured from the shogunate an annual grant of 12,000 ''ryô'', which remained in place, being paid out every year from [[1776]] until [[1862]].<ref>Hellyer, 91-92.</ref>

[[Matsudaira Sadanobu]], who replaced [[Tanuma Okitsugu]] as [[Tairo|Tairô]] in [[1787]], however, began to pressure the domain to repay its loans both to the shogunate and to Edo, Osaka, and Nagasaki merchants. The domain attempted to come up with new payment plans, but simply could not afford to even pay the interest on the loans, let alone to begin paying down the principal. Tokugawa orders to increase the amount of marine products which the domain could supply to Nagasaki helped raise the domain's economy somewhat, for a time, but by 1800, many local fisherman found [[whaling]] to be more lucrative than harvesting abalone, kelp, and sea cucumber, and so had switched the focus of their activities. The domain briefly attempted to accommodate these shifts by increasing the amount of marine products they were getting from Korea, and by inviting fishermen from [[Hirado han|Hirado]] and [[Hiroshima han|Hiroshima]] to come harvest marine products in Tsushima waters; the latter aggravated local Tsushima fishermen, however, and forced new arrangements which negated preferential pricing for the outsider fishermen.

[[Matsudaira Sadanobu]], who replaced [[Tanuma Okitsugu]] as [[Tairo|Tairô]] in [[1787]], however, began to pressure the domain to repay its loans both to the shogunate and to Edo, Osaka, and Nagasaki merchants. The domain attempted to come up with new payment plans, but simply could not afford to even pay the interest on the loans, let alone to begin paying down the principal. Tokugawa orders to increase the amount of marine products which the domain could supply to Nagasaki helped raise the domain's economy somewhat, for a time, but by 1800, many local fisherman found [[whaling]] to be more lucrative than harvesting abalone, kelp, and sea cucumber, and so had switched the focus of their activities. The domain briefly attempted to accommodate these shifts by increasing the amount of marine products they were getting from Korea, and by inviting fishermen from [[Hirado han|Hirado]] and [[Hiroshima han|Hiroshima]] to come harvest marine products in Tsushima waters; the latter aggravated local Tsushima fishermen, however, and forced new arrangements which negated preferential pricing for the outsider fishermen.

Sadanobu also pressured the domain to reduce its copper exports, but domain officials protected the relationship with Korea, and the trade it provided, by deploying a variety of arguments. They argued that trade with Korea was a right of their domain, affirmed and reaffirmed by the Tokugawa since the early years of the shogunate, and furthermore that the importing of luxury goods benefited the realm, and that the import of rice was essential to the well-being of the domain, and for avoiding samurai or peasant uprisings. In the end, they successfully parried Sadanobu's attempts to hamper the domain's economy, and continued to be allowed to acquire up to 100,000 ''kin'' of copper for export each year.<ref>Hellyer, 109.</ref>

Sadanobu also pressured the domain to reduce its [[copper]] exports, but domain officials protected the relationship with Korea, and the trade it provided, by deploying a variety of arguments. They argued that trade with Korea was a right of their domain, affirmed and reaffirmed by the Tokugawa since the early years of the shogunate, and furthermore that the importing of luxury goods benefited the realm, and that the import of rice was essential to the well-being of the domain, and for avoiding samurai or peasant uprisings. In the end, they successfully parried Sadanobu's attempts to hamper the domain's economy, and continued to be allowed to acquire up to 100,000 ''kin'' of copper for export each year.<ref>Hellyer, 109.</ref> Petitions from Tsushima in the ensuing years, often citing the importance of the Korea trade for the realm, and the refrain "we are a small island domain with little agricultural production," used in countless domain missives to the shogunate in this period, eventually led in [[1825]] to the shogunate allowing Tsushima to purchase this 100,000 ''kin'' of copper at a reduced rate, rather than market price.<ref>Hellyer, 142.</ref>

 

 

Yet, while Satsuma earned the shogunate's suspicion and had various economic restrictions enacted against it, Tsushima received considerable aid from the shogunate in the 19th century. To begin, a significant decline in the volume of trade at Nagasaki in the 1820s-30s left the shogunate's [[Nagasaki kaisho|Nagasaki customs house]] with surpluses of copper; whereas the shogunate had earmarked one million ''kin'' in copper for export via Nagasaki, as much as 300,000 ''kin'' was remaining in the customs house's possession each year. This led to Tsushima being sold, for a time, an additional 50,000 ''kin'' of copper each year, which it would then exchange with Korea to import silver. Tsushima acquired even more copper from the shogunate when the Joseon Court began requesting additional copper in place of water buffalo horn; from [[1838]] until [[1866]] (with a few breaks in the 1840s and 1850s), the shogunate provided Tsushima with an additional 11,000 ''kin'' each year. Beyond this, the domain was granted 90,000 ''ryô'' plus an addition 30,000 in loans in [[1811]] to help finance the [[Korean embassies to Edo|Korean embassy to the domain]] in that year, plus another 2500 ''ryô'' annual stipend for a period of twenty years, plus another 10,000 ''koku'' in rice at one point, to help alleviate difficulties created by a poor harvest in Korea. As a reward for successfully receiving the 1811 mission, the domain was further granted 20,000 ''koku'' worth of additional fief lands on mainland Kyûshû. Finally, Tsushima's financial burden was further alleviated by lax enforcement on the part of the shogunate of the feudal obligation of ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]''; the lord of Tsushima made formal "alternate attendance" trips to Edo only five times between 1810 and 1842, at a cost of over 1,300 ''kan'' each time, while most ''daimyô'' were obliged to appear in attendance to the shogun fifteen times during that same period. Even so, despite all of this aid, Tsushima still suffered from economic difficulties. While its debts to the Osaka merchants came nowhere close to the 320,000 ''kan'' owed at one point by Satsuma, they were still sizable, especially for such a small domain, amounting to over 8,300 ''kan'' in 1835.<ref>Hellyer, 143-145.</ref>

{{stub}}

{{stub}}